Connector assembly



y 0, 1956 D. w. BROWNE 2,754,406

CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY Filed May 27, 1952 ,Zkr/enfart 45 .Do "ai W frown [n5 'IIIIIIIHIIIHIQ II F] United States Patent usages coNNEcroR ASSEMBLY Donald William Browne, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Acra Electric Corporation, a corpora tion of Illinois Application May 27, 1952, Serial No. 290,206 1413 Claims. (Cl. 219-38) This invention relates to a connector assembly for use in securing a band about an object, and more especially to a connector assembly particularly designed to fasten a band including a heating element about a heating tank.

in recent years the use of electrically heated hot water tanks has become increasin ly popular. One form of such tank is shown in Patent 2,226,526 to C. M. Osterheld, dated December 24, 1940. Generally, in heating tanks of this kind, the electrical heating elements are mounted ona band which is adapted to fit arouno the tank. This band is normally inserted in a tunnel in the insulating material around the tank and then the ends of the band are fastened together holding the band in place. in the past, it has been the practice to provide a connector of some kind rigidly affixed to the end of the band. This was in many cases undesirable as it made it difiicult to slide the band through the tunnel around the tank and also necessitated the provision of a tunnel substantially wider than the thickness of the band which reduced the effectiveness of the insulation. Another defect of the ordinary connectors was that no provision was made for the difierent expansion and contraction rates of the band and the tank and as a result the band was not always in good heat transfer relation with the tank. I have devised and am herein disclosing and claiming an improved connector assembly which is particularly adapted for use in fastening a band including a heating element in place about a heating tank.

One object of my invention is to provide a connector plate which may readily be attached to a band after the band is slid through a tunnel about a tank. Another object is to provide such a connector plate which will slide on the tank with a minimum of friction during expansion and contraction. A further object is to provide a connector assembly which may be readily installed on a band and which includes spring means so that the band is maintained in good heat transfer relation with the tank during expansion and contraction. Yet another object is to provide such a connector assembly in which leaf springs are used and in which provision is made for preventing abnormal flexure of the leaf springs.

Further objects and advantages will appear more fully from the specifications and from the drawings, of which:

Fig. l is a vertical section through a hot water tank showing connector assemblies made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing connector assemblies made according to my invention in use;

Fi 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the connector assemblies shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section of a connector plate taken as shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a view taken as shown by lines 55 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view taken as shown by lines 66 in Fig. 4-. Fig. 1 shows a hot water tank indicated generally as 1 0 comprising an outer casing ll, insulating material 12 and an inner Water tank 13. An inlet 14 for cold water and an outlet 15 for heated water are provided. The two tunnels 16 and 17 about the water tank 13 are adapted to receive the bands 18 and 19 carrying heating elements 20 and 21 which are protected by electrical insulating covers 22 and 23. As shown in Fig. 2 the binding posts 24 and 25 are provided to facilitate making electrical connections to the heating elements. it is to be understood that it is not necessary that the heating element be separated from the band as shown, but the band itself might be the heating element if it were made of a suitable substance such as a nichrome alloy. Openings 26 and 27 are provided through the insulating material to allow access to the tunnels l6 and 17. Covers 28 and 29 close these openings when they are not in use.

The bands 18 and 19 are installed in the field by inserting one end into the openings 26 and 27 and sliding the bands through the tunnels until they are in the desired position. As the band itself is relatively thin, the tunnel in which it is inserted may be correspondingly narrow so that the effectiveness of the insulation is not substantially impaired. The thermostats 3 3 and 31 and control units 32 and 33 are provided to control the opration of the electrical heating units.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that a plurality of connector plates indicated generally as 3 are provided. Each of these connector plates has a first portion 35 which is substantially parallel to the plane at the end of the band and which is adapted to be attached readily to the end of the band. Each connector plate also has a second portion 36 substantially at right angles to the first portion. Each of the ends of the bands is provided with a plurality of depressed sections 37 each of which has an opening 38 therein. The first portion of the connector plates 34 are provided with a plurality of corresponding offset tab parts 39 which are received in the openings 38. Thus, the connector plates 3d may readily be attached to the ends of the band after the bands are in place, and without the use of tools.

It is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment shown in these drawings. A narrower band might require the use of only one connector plate at each end rather than two; and it is not necessary that two tab parts be used to connect each connector plate to the end of the band. Furthermore, it would be quite satisfactory to have the offset tab parts on the ends of the band and the depressed sections and openings in the connector plates.

The second portion of each connector plate is provided with an opening iii adapted to receive a bolt 41 which together with the nut 42 serves to draw the ends of the band together and to maintain the heating element in good heat transfer relation with the tank 13. It has been found that the band and the tank do not expand and contract at the same rate. For example, if the tank is filled with cold water and the electrical heating element is energized the band will heat up much more rapidly than the tank and as a result will expand much more (for example, one-eighth inch more on an eighteen-inch tank) and provide a tendency to become loose about the tank. if this were allowed to happen it would be impossible to maintain the heating element in good heat transfer relation with the tank at all times. To obviate this, i have provided means operative to resiliently maintain the band and the heating elements in good heat transfer relation with the tank, this means in the embodiment illustrated comprising the leaf springs 43 operably interposed between the bolt 41 and the second portion 3a of the connector plates. It might be possible to use other type of springs such as coil springs, but I have found it preferable to use leaf springs. The upturned lip parts 44 which are provided at either side of the opening -49 asbest shown in Figs. 4, and 6 and operate as stops for the springs 43 and prevent abnormal ilexure thereof.

Two depressed knee parts 45 are provided in each of the connector plates 34-. These depressed knees are at right angles to and extend across the juncture between the first and second portions of the plates. They serve to strengthen the juncture between the two portions of the plate and to facilitate sliding movement of the plates on the tank 13 by reducing friction. One such knee portion would be satisfactory in each connector plate, but I have found is preferable to use two, thereby providing not only greater strength but also better balance.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it is preferable that the connector assembly be mounted so as to lie across the welded seam 46 in the tank 13. In the vicinity of the seamin such a tank a portion of the wall of the tank is normally slightly dished as indicated generally at 47. By placing the connector assembly at this point, it is possible to keep the band snug against the tank up to the end. This prevents any loss of heat at the ends of the band.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A band assembly of the character described, comprising: a band having an end portion; a connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected to said end portion of the band, one of said portions having at least one opening therein and the cooperating portion having at least one offset tab part adapted to be received in said Opening, said connector plate also having a second-portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; and holding means engaging said second portion for maintaining said connector in a desired position.

2. A band assembly of the character described, comprising: a band having an end portion; a connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected to said end portion of the band, one of said portions having at least one opening therein and the cooperating portion having at least one offset tab part adapted to be received in said opening, said connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; andholding means for resiliently maintaining said connector in a desired position, said holding means including spring means.

3. A- band assembly of the character described, comprising: a band having an end portion; a connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected tosaid end portion of the hand, one of said portions havingat least one depressed section with an opening therein and the cooperating portion having at least one offset tab part adapted to be received in said opening, said connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; means for strengtheningthe juncture between said first portion and said second portion and for facilitating sliding movement ofthe connector, said means comprising at least one knee part formed substantially at right angles across said juncture; and holding means for resiliently maintaining said'connector in a desired position, said holding means including spring means.

4. A band assembly of the character described, comprising: a band having an end portion; a connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected to-said end portion of the band, one of said portions having two depressed sections with openings therein and the cooperating portion having two offset tab parts adapted to be received in said openings, said connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to 'saidtfirst portion; means'for resiliently maintaining said connector in a desired position, said means including a bolt and a leaf spring, the second portion of said con nector plate having an opening therein to receive said bolt and said leaf spring being operatively interposed between said bolt and said second portion; and at least one upturned lip part at the edge of said opening adapted to prevent abnormal flexure of said spring.

5. A connector assembly of the character described for securing the end of a band, comprising: a plate having a first portion adapted to be attached readily to said band, and a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; means for strengthening the juncture between said first portion and said second portion and for facilitating sliding movement of the connector, said means comprising two knee parts formed substantially at right angles to and across said juncture; and holding means engaging said second portion for maintaining said connector in a desired position.

6. A connector assembly of the character described for securing the end of a band, comprising: a plate'having a first portion adapted to be attached readily to said band and to lie in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the end of said band, and a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; means for strengthening the juncture between said first portion and said second portion and for facilitating sliding movement of the connector, said means comprising at least one knee part formedin said plate at right angles to and extending across the juncture between said first and second portions; means for resiliently maintaining said connector in a desired position, said means including a bolt and a leaf spring, the second portion of said plate having an opening therein to receive said bolt and said leaf spring being operatively interposed between said bolt and said second portion; and at least one upturned lip part at the edge of said opening adapted to prevent abnormal fiexure of said spring.

7. An assembly of the character described for securing.

a heating element band having an end portion about an object, comprising: a connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected to said end portion of the hand, one of said portions having at least one depressed section with an opening therein and the cooperating portion having at least one offset tab part adapted to be received in said opening, said connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; means for strengthening the juncture between said first and second portions and for facilitating sliding movement of the connector on said object during expansion and contraction, said means comprising at least one knee part formed substantially at right angles to and extending across said juncture; and holdingmeans engaging said second portion for maintaining said con: nector in a desired position.

8. An assembly of the character described for resiliently securing, in a tunnel about a heating tank, a band, having an end portion and including an insulated heating element, comprising: a connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected to said end portion of the hand, one of said portions having a depressed section with an opening therein and the cooperating portion having an offset tab part stamped from and integral with said cooperating portion and adapted to be received in said opening, said connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion;

and holding means for resiliently maintaining saidheat ing element in good heat transfer relation with'said tank during expansion and contraction, said holding means including leaf spring means.

9. An assembly of the character described for resiliently securing, in a tunnel about a heating tank, a band having an end portion and including an insulated heating;

element, comprising: a connector plate having a first portion adapted tobe readily connected to said end portion of the'band, one of'said portions having two depressed sections with openings therein and the cooperating portion having two offset tab parts adapted to be received in said openings, said connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; means for strengthening the juncture between said first and second portions and for facilitating sliding movement of the connector plate on said heating tank during expansion and contraction, said means comprising at least one knee part formed in said connector plate at right angles to and extending across the juncture between said first and second portions; means for resiliently maintaining said heating element in good heat transfer relation with said tank during expansion and contraction, said means including a bolt and a leaf spring, the second portion of said connector plate having an opening therein to receive said bolt, and said leaf spring being operatively interposed between said bolt and said second portion; and at least one upturned lip part at the edge of said opening to prevent abnormal fiexure of said spring.

10. An assembly of the character described for resiliently securing, in a tunnel about a heating tank, a band having two end portions and including an insulated heating element, comprising: a first connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected to one of said end portions of the band, said one end portion of the band having two depressed sections with openings therein and the cooperating portion of said first connector plate having two offset tab parts adapted to be received in said openings, said first connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion; means for strengthening the juncture between said first and second portions of said first connector plate and for facilitating sliding movement of the connector plate on said heating tank during expansion and contraction of the tank and band, said means comprising two knee parts formed in said connector plate at right angles to and extending across the juncture between said first and second portions; a second connector plate having a first portion adapted to be readily connected to the other of said end portions of the band, said other end portion of the band having two depressed sections with openings therein and the cooperating portion of said second connector plate having two ofiset tab parts adapted to be received in said openings, said second connector plate also having a second portion substantially at right angles to said first portion, means for strengthening the juncture between said first and second portions of said second connector plate and for facilitating sliding movement of the connector plate on said heating tank during expansion and contraction of the tank and band, said means comprising two knee parts formed in said connector plate at right angles to and extending across the juncture between said first and second portions; means for resiliently maintaining said heating element in good heat transfer relation with said tank during expansion and contraction, said means including a bolt, a first leaf spring and a second leaf spring, the second portion of each of said connector plates having a slotted opening therein to receive said bolt, said first leaf spring being operatively interposed between said bolt and the second portion of said first connector plate and said second leaf spring being operatively interposed between said bolt and said second portion of said second connector plate; two spaced upturned lip parts at the edge of the opening in the second portion of said first connector plate to prevent abnormal flexure of said first leaf spring; and two spaced upturned lip parts at the edge of the opening in the second portion of said second connector plate to prevent abnormal flexure of said second leaf spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,278,598 Cooper Sept. 10, 1918 1,487,903 Vitek Mar. 25, 1924 1,642,197 Fowler Sept. 13, 1927 1,942,600 Hornung Jan. 9, 1934 1,986,748 Pritchard Jan. 1, 1935 2,237,151 Knez Apr. 1, 1941 2,452,214 Vogel et a1. Oct. 26, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 392,014 Germany Mar. 21, 1924 287,828 Great Britain Mar. 29, 1928 636,788 Great Britain May 1950 

